On Behalf of the Workers: The Role of Labor Unions

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Suggested Teaching Instructions

Directions:

The following questions are based on historical documents or excerpts from them, and test your ability to work with such documents.  Some of these documents and excerpts have been edited for the purposes of these questions. As you analyze the documents or excerpts, try to understand the source of the document and any point of view that is presented in them. 

Historical Context:

American labor unions are organizations that work together to demand fair wages, safety in the workplace, and job security.  A collective voice cannot be ignored by employers as easily as individual protests, because workers who band together can engage in strikes and other joint activities to strengthen their hand in bargaining with management.  Unions give workers a voice in overcoming discrimination in the workplace; workers then often extend their own union efforts to improve living conditions in their communities.

Task:

Using information from the following documents/excerpts, and using your own knowledge of history, in Part A answer the questions that follow each listed document/excerpt.  Your answers to these questions will help you complete the writing assignment given in Part B.

Part A: Short-Answer Questions

Read and analyze each document or excerpt, and then in the space provided answer each of the questions that follow them. 

Part B

Essay

Using information from at least five of the documents in Part A to support your thinking,and using your own knowledge of history, write an essay that describes how labor unions have helped working Latinos. Use a separate sheet of paper to complete your essay, which should be well organized. Include an introduction that defines the term labor union, at least three paragraphs in which you explain three specific ways that labor unions have helped their members and how each action benefited the workers, and a conclusion. Support your response with relevant facts, examples, and details. In no case should the documents simply be cited and paraphrased. You should include additional historical details, and you may discuss documents not provided in the question.